Irving babcock



No. B25,l35.

Patented May I6, 1899. W. l. BABCOCK &. J. W. SEAVEB.

CRANE STRUCTURE. (Application filed June 13, 1 898.)

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No. s25,|35. Ptented May rs, I899.

.w. BA'BCDCK & .1. w. SEAVER.

CRANE STRUCTURE.

, (Application filed June 13, 1898.)

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No. 625,!35 v Patented May I6;'|8 99i" w. BABcocK & J. w. SEAV'EB.

CRANE STRUCTURE.

(Application filed June 18,1898.)

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NHE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

YVASHINGTON IRVING BABCOCK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND JOHN YVRIGHTSEAVER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CRANE STRUCTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,135, dated May 16,1899.

A li ti fil d June 13,1898. Serial No. 683,337. (No model.)

the following is a specification.

Our invention consists of certain improvements in or modifications ofthe crane-supporting structure shown in the patent granted to Samuel T.VVellman, Charles II. Vellman,

John V. Seaver,and \Vashington Irving Babcock, No. 606,497, dated June28, 1898, such a crane being especially designed for shipyardwork.

The objects of our present improvements are to provide an extremelystiff and rigid supporting structure for the overhangingcantaliver-trusses of the crane, to resist the overturning strains uponsaid structure without the necessity of anchoring the outer ends of saidtrusses, and to facilitate the handling of material by the crane. Theseobjects we attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevationof a crane-supporting structure constructed in accordance with ourinvention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on a larger scale.Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of part of the crane onthe same scale as Fig. 2; and Fig.4 is a plan or top view of part of thecrane structure on the same scale as Figs. 2 and 3.

Our present crane-supporting structure consists of a series of verticaltowers, each consisting of opposite vertical posts 1 2, connectedtogether by horizontal braces 3 and diagonal braces 4, these towersbeing located at any convenient distance apart and as many of them beingemployed as the desired length of the structure may demand. Thus in onestructure which we have devised in accordance with our invention thereare fifteen of these towers located at adistance of forty feet apart,thus forming a structure with an aggre gate length of five hundred andsixty feet.

' The posts 1 of the series of towers are suitably secured together byhorizontal longitudinal braces 5 and diagonal longitudinal braces 6, andsimilar braces connect the posts 2, and the towers are also connectedtogether by horizontal diagonal braces 7, as shown in Fig. 4. Hence thetowers are rigidly braced both laterally and longitudinally,and a strongand stiff longitudinal structure is thus provided.

The tops of the towers carry cantalivertrusses 9, which project to anydesired distance laterally beyond the towers and are braced togetherhorizontally, as shown at 10 in Fig. 4, this bracing being in the planeof the bottom chords of the trusses.

Suspended from the cantaliver-trusses, directly under the bottom chordsof the same, are girders 11, which are provided with tracks ontheirlower flanges, and on these tracks run the bridges 12 of the crane,each bridge having a trolley traversing the same from end to end'andcarrying suitable hoisting mechanism and both bridges and trolleys beingactuated by any available form of power driving mechanism.

The innermost girders 11 are secured to the posts 1 and 2 of thesupporting-towers and form part of the longitudinal bracing of the same.

The girders 11 constitute runways extending throughout the entire lengthof the crane structure, and the bridges 12 can traverse the entirelength of these runways. Hence when the crane is used as part of ashipyard equipment the hoisting mechanism mounted upon eithercrane-bridge can be brought over any desired portion of the length ofthe ship beneath it without reference to the position of the hoistingmechanism of the other cranes.

Should it be desired to combine the lifting power of two cranes, thetrolleys can be brought together and the lifting-tackles connected, asshown at the left-hand side of Fig. 2.

We have shown three girders constituting two runways, one laterallybeyond the other on each set of cantaliver-trusses, so as to provide fortwo independent crane-bridges on each side of the central supportingstructure, and this number may be multiplied by mounting two, three, ormore crane-bridges on each runway or by multiplying the number ofrunways by increasing the number of girders depending from theprojecting cantalivertrusses, or by both of these methods. By thus usinga number or light-capacity high-speed cranes we are enabled to handlethe material with greater facility and convenience than would bepossible if a smaller number of more powerful and slower-run ning craneswere employed.

It is obvious that loads suspended from either of the overhangingcantaliver structures, especially from the outer portions of the same,will set up an overturning strain, which would tend to tip the entirestructure over sidewise on account of the narrow base of the centralsupporting-framework, and in order to provide for this strain we utilizethe diagonal or X braces at, which connect the posts 1 and 2 at the topsof the towers, as shown in Fig. 2, strain coming up the top chord ofeither cantaliver-truss being transmitted down to the bottom chord ofthe crosstrusses and cantalivers and thereby resolved into averticalstrain on the posts of the tower,

and as each post is thoroughly braced and stayed by means of diagonalside bracing and as the posts are connected together so that the entireseries act in unison it is impossible to lift up one of the postswithout lifting all of the posts in that line, and sufiicient weightisthus provided to counteract any lifting tendency which is likely to beexerted.

At the bottom of the row of towers is arranged a runway 13 fortransporting material throughout the length of the structure, and thereis also a longitudinal track running along the bases of the towers,between the side posts of the same, for a like purpose, and suitablegangways 14 and air-pipes 15 are mounted upon the transverse braces 3,connecting the tower-posts, while ladders 16 provide a means of travelfrom top to bottom of either tower.

Although we have shown the central structure as supportingcantaliver-trusses projecting laterally in both directions therefrom, it

will be evident that our invention may also be embodied in a stru ct-ureconsisting of a row of connected towers from which thecantaliver-trusses project laterally in but one direction.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. A crane-supporting structure consisting of alongitudinal row of vertical towers connected by longitudinal bracingand each supporting a projecting cantaliver-truss, said trusses beinglikewise connected by longitudinal bracing, substantially as specified.

2. A crane-supporting structure consisting of a longitudinal row ofvertical towers c011- nected together by longitudinal bracing and eachsupporting a pair of cantaliver-trusses projecting laterally therefrom,one in one direction and the other in the opposite direction, saidcantaliver-trusses being likewise connected by longitudinal bracing,substantially as specified.

A crane consisting of a longitudinal structure with cantaliver-trussesprojecting from one or both sides of the same, said cantaliver-trussescarrying longitudinal girders forming runways one laterally beyondanother for the reception of traveling-crane bridges, substantially asspecified.

4.. The combination, in a crane, of vertical towershavinglaterally-projecting cantalivertrusses, and longitudinal bracingin avertical plane connecting said towers in a direction at right anglesto the cantaliver-trusses,

whereby uplifting or overturning strain upon the posts of any one of thetowers is transmitted to the posts of adjoining towers, substantially asspecified.

5. The combination, in a crane, of vertical towers having laterally-projectin g cantalivertrusses, and longitudinal bracing in a vertical planeconnecting said towers in a direction at right angles to thecantaliver-trusses, said longitudinal bracing comprising both horizontaland diagonal members, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WASHINGTON IRVING BABOOCK. JOIIN WRIGHT SEAVER.

Witnesses to signature of W. I. Babcock:

H. W. HOBBS, GEO. WERNER.

Witnesses to signature of J. W. Seaver:

O. W. OoMsTooK, JOHN MCGEORGE.

